European patent specification EP 1 045 751 B1 discloses a double belt press with a product gap between two plastic belts running partially in parallel. A thermoplastic preproduct is scattered onto a lower plastic belt in a feed region and is then shaped between the two plastic belts in the product gap into a plate-like product. Bonding of the thermoplastic preproduct into a stable plate-like product takes place by the virtually pressureless welding of the thermoplastic preproduct under a pressure of at most 0.2 bar. This known double belt press has disadvantages when it involves the production of thicker plate-like products and/or the processing of fibrous preproducts, for example during the processing of natural fibers.